Janina Jeff facts for kids

Janina M. Jeff (juh-NEE-nuh) is a brilliant scientist from the United States. She is a senior scientist at a company called Illumina. Janina is very interested in finding out how small changes in our genes can lead to different health issues in various groups of people. She also loves sharing science with everyone. She made history as the first African American to earn a PhD in Human Genetics from Vanderbilt University.

Janina Jeff is also the host and producer of a popular podcast called In Those Genes. This podcast connects the science of genetics with African American identity and Black culture. In 2020, she won an Advocacy Award from the American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG). She also won the first-ever Spotify Sound-Up Bootcamp in 2018, which helped her start her podcast.

On her podcast, Janina calls herself a "geneti-SIS" and a storyteller. She shares personal stories and her scientific knowledge to connect with her listeners. Growing up, Janina loved asking big questions. She learned that not knowing an answer isn't a problem, but an exciting chance to discover something new!

Early Life and Education

Janina Jeff grew up in New Orleans. She went to McDonogh 35 Senior High School. In 2007, she graduated from Spelman College with a bachelor's degree in Biology. At Spelman, she was a RISE Scholar, which helped her do science research.

She continued her studies at Vanderbilt University. She earned a master's degree in statistics in 2011. Then, in 2012, she received her PhD in human genetics. She was the first African American to get a PhD in Human Genetics from Vanderbilt. After her PhD, she did more training at Vanderbilt and at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

Research and Career

Today, Janina Jeff works as a Senior Bioinformatics scientist at Illumina. There, she helps create special computer programs. These programs are used to study large amounts of genetic information from many people. Her research has focused on understanding how genes affect health in different populations. She pays special attention to groups with mixed ancestries.

Sharing Science with Everyone

In Those Genes Podcast

In Those Genes is a podcast inspired by hip-hop music. Janina Jeff is the host and producer. The show explores genetics and helps uncover the stories of African Americans through the lens of Black culture.

In 2018, Janina won the first Spotify Sound Up Bootcamp. This award gave her $10,000 to start her podcast. One episode, "Skinfolk, Kinfolk," was named one of the 50 Best Podcast Episodes of 2020 by IndieWire. Another episode, "Dat Rona," won a Radio Impact award in 2020.

Through her podcast, Janina uses genetics to help people understand their past and future. For example, in one episode, "She Get It From Her Moma," she looked at old beliefs about how traits are passed down in Black families.

kinkofa Initiative

Janina Jeff also works with an organization called kinkofa (KIN*koh*fah). Its motto is "go get yo' kin," which means "go find your relatives." This group helps African Americans learn about their family history. The founders were inspired by an ancient African symbol called 'sankofa'. This symbol encourages people to learn from their past to move forward.

kinkofa is a website where African Americans can discover and save their family stories. It helps them uncover their unique origins. kinkofa also partners with other groups to share stories that show the important contributions of African Americans throughout history.

kinkofa offers other helpful tools. The Rememory platform is a free tool to record family stories. These recordings can be saved online for future generations. There's also a Black cemeteries app. This app helps people find historic burial grounds. Many of these sites have been forgotten, making it hard for families to find their ancestors' graves. Preserving these cemeteries is important for tracing family origins.

Awards and Honors

Janina Jeff has received several awards for her important work:

• 2020 American Society of Human Genetics Advocacy Award for her podcast. She was the first African American and the youngest person to receive this honor.
• 2020 Radio Impact award from the Third Coast / Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Competition.
• 2018 Spotify Sound Up Bootcamp.
• 2006 National Human Genome Research Institute Scholar.